What
The Family Travel Association (FTA) has released findings from the fourth-annual U.S. Family Travel Survey, conducted in partnership with New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. According to the report, 79 percent of families said they were likely or very likely to take a vacation in the next two years.
Why It Matters
The report had a range of information that can better help travel agents craft family travel. One interesting result: When families were asked to grade agents, they gave them a B minus. However, when families who have used an agent in the past were asked the same question, the grade jumped to a B plus. This shows that the perception of advisors needs to catch up with the reality.
Fast Facts
- Only 10 percent of American families said they were unlikely to take a vacation in the next two years. Among the families who said this, 69 percent said the primary reason is “we cannot afford to.”
- The research indicates that other family challenges include a lack of information about packages and destinations and finding the time to travel. Of the 1,724 respondents with vacation days, 58 percent said they did not use all of their paid time off, and 24 percent said they used less than half.
- The survey also asked parents to prioritize their wants and needs. The top four responses were: more family-focused promotions and discounts; clearer pricing information and fewer surcharges; more domestic U.S. travel package options; and more extensive financing options.
- When families were asked to grade travel suppliers in the survey, restaurants received a B-plus, hotels and online travel agencies received a B and airlines received a C-plus. However, when asked about suppliers they had recently used, families gave cruise lines and travel agents the highest grades, a B-plus, and the remaining suppliers a B. Airlines received a B- among all users.
- The 2018 Family Travel Survey was conducted by the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, NYU School of Professional Studies, in June and July 2018. The survey reached 1,724 consumers, 18 years or older, with one or more children 17 years or younger.
What They Are Saying
“Consistently through the four years of the Family Travel Survey, affordability has been a key challenge for American families, and there is no indication this problem is abating,” said Dr. Lynn Minnaert, clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Professional Studies, home of the Tisch Center. “This is despite the fact that families understand the importance of vacationing together, including the bonding time, expanding your child’s horizons and helping children grow into confident adults,”
“What a family finds to be affordable depends on several factors, including income, the value a family places on vacation time and their ability to educate themselves about their options,” said Rainer Jenss, FTA founder. “Parents frequently aren’t aware that savings and greater value for money are available because they don’t have the time to wade through and consider all their options.”
“With all the priorities families have in their lives, putting aside the income as well as the time to thoroughly investigate their options can be difficult,” said Peter Bopp, FTA strategic director. “Providing more package deals and a wider range of ways to finance vacations will allow families to take greater advantage of travel’s incomparable possibilities.”
The Details
Family Travel Association
www.familytravel.org
